Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers
40
This project was conducted as a collaboration between the Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers Promising Practices in Out-of-Home Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Carers, Children and Young People: Profiling Promising Programs Booklet 2
Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers
Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers 1assessing,
training and recruiting indigenous carers
This project was conducted as a collaboration between the
Australian Institute of Family Studies and the Secretariat of
National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care
Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers
Promising Practices in Out-of-Home Care for Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Carers, Children and Young People:
Profiling Promising Programs
National Child Protection Clearinghouse
the national child Protection clearinghouse has operated from the
australian institute of Family studies since 1995. the clear-
inghouse is funded by the australian government department of
Families, community services and indigenous affairs as part of its
response to child abuse and neglect. the clearinghouse collects,
produces and distributes information and resources, conducts
research, and offers specialist advice on the latest developments
in child abuse prevention, child protection, and out-of-home
care.
Contents
assessing and training indigenous carers - 7 Messages from
professionals and carers
Step by Step 8
Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers 17
How to train indigenous carers 19
Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong 26
How to assess and train indigenous kinship carers 29
recruiting indigenous carers - 36 Messages from professionals and
carers
How to recruit indigenous carers 37
conclusion 39
Contributors
the primary contributors to this report and their roles in the
project were:
Dr Jenny Higgins
australian institute of Family studies, national child Protection
clearinghouse
Jenny wrote this booklet, analysed the data and liaised with con-
tributors regarding their feedback on the material. Jenny also
contributed to the project scoping, identification of participants,
research design and data collection.
Nikki Butler
secretariat for national aboriginal and islander child care
nikki contributed to the project scoping, identification of par-
ticipants, research design and data collection, and reviewed the
material before publication. nikki also provided an indigenous
perspective on all aspects of the project.
Suggested method of citation for this booklet
Higgins, J.r. and Butler, n. (2007). Assessing, training and
recruiting Indigenous carers. ‘Promising Practices in out-of-Home
care for aboriginal and torres strait islander carers, children and
Young People’ (booklet 2). Melbourne: australian institute of
Family studies.
Acknowledgments
the authors gratefully thank and acknowledge the participants, who
gave their time in interviews and focus groups and shared valuable
information about their organisations, programs and services, on
which the material in this booklet is based.
the authors also acknowledge the valuable contribution of the
australian council for children and Parenting, especially simon
schrapel, and Leah Bromfield and daryl Higgins at the australian
institute of Family studies.
this project was funded by the department of Families, community
services and indigenous affairs (Facsia) for the australian council
for children and Parenting.
Report layout and design
Heather Hoare, Pixel city digital design.
this work is copyright. apart from any use as permitted under the
copyright act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process
without prior written permission from the commonwealth. requests
and inquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be
addressed to the commonwealth copyright administration,
attorney-general’s department, robert garran offices, national
circuit, Barton act 2600 or posted at www.ag.gov.au/cca.
the australian institute of Family studies is committed to the
creation and dissemination of research-based information on family
functioning and wellbeing. Views expressed in its publica- tions
are those of individual authors and may not reflect aus- tralian
government or institute policy, or the opinions of the editors or
of the director.
the information in this booklet is based on retrospective, oral
accounts. Participants were given the opportunity to check the
accuracy of the information and provide feedback. the informa- tion
was accurate to the best of the authors’ knowledge at the time of
publication.
The Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Inc.
(SNAICC) is the national non-government peak body in australia
representing the interests of aboriginal and torres strait islander
children and families. the snaicc resource service (srs) works
across the aboriginal and torres strait islander family and
children’s services sector to produce and distribute practical
resources and information.
the srs is funded as an Early Childhood – Invest to Grow initiative
by the australian government under the stronger Families and
communities strategy.
SNAICC Ph: (03) 9489 8099 Website: www.snaicc.asn.au
SRS Snaicc Resource Service
Introduction
aboriginal and torres strait islander children are almost five
times more likely to be placed in out-of-home care compared with
non-indigenous children (australian institute of Health and
Welfare, 2007).1 Yet there is a serious shortage of culturally
appropriate placements to accommodate them. even with intensive
recruitment efforts, professionals have been unable to recruit
sufficient aboriginal and torres strait islander carers to meet the
demand.
Project background
Phase 1: Identifying Strengths and Barriers
in 2005, the national child Protection clearinghouse, at the
australian institute of Family studies, was commis- sioned by the
australian council for children and Parenting’s (accaP) children at
risk committee, to conduct:
• A literature review titled The Recruitment, Retention and Support
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Foster Carers: A
Literature Review. (richardson, Bromfield, & Higgins, 2005);
and
• Interviews and focus groups with professionals from government,
non-government and Indigenous organisations, as well as carers of
aboriginal and torres strait islander children and indigenous young
people in care, titled Enhancing Out-of-Home Care for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander Young People. (Higgins, Bromfield, &
richardson, 2005).2
in the interviews and focus groups, participants were asked to talk
about what they thought were barriers to recruiting, assessing,
training carers and supporting carers and young people, and the
strategies that worked well. the project was funded by the
australian government department of Families, community services
and indigenous affairs (Facsia).
Professionals, carers and young people told us of barriers and gaps
in program and service delivery, and identified ineffective
practices such as culturally inappropriate assessment tools and
training programs. the participants highlighted the need to develop
more effective and culturally relevant recruitment, assessment and
training strat- egies. carers also told us they needed more support
in a range of areas such as dealing with state and territory child
protection departments, and caring for children with increasingly
complex needs. Young people told us they wanted more connection
with their family and communities while in care. importantly, the
participants also identified examples of promising practice in the
field, where effective and culturally relevant strategies had been
developed to overcome barriers in these areas.3
Phase 2: Profiling Promising Programs
in response to the needs identified by the participants, and guided
by the examples of promising practice they shared with us, Facsia
granted funding to aiFs to extend the program to profile promising
practices in the sector (this phase of the project is referred to
as Phase 2: Profiling Promising Programs). the term ‘promising’
describes programs that have been successful in meeting their goals
and objectives, but which have not necessarily been externally
evaluated. While a few of the profiled programs had been externally
evaluated, the majority had not, and the term ‘promising’ applies
to the collection of organisations profiled for this project.
in mid-2006, the australian institute of Family studies, in
collaboration with snaicc (secretariat of national aborig- inal and
islander child care), profiled promising programs and services
across australia in order to disseminate the information to other
professionals in the sector.
Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers
1 australian institute of Health and Welfare. (2007). child
Protection australia 2005–06, aiHW, canberra: author. 2 summary
papers prepared from the reports are available on the ncPc website
www.aifs.gov.au/nch/pubs/reports/
promisingpractices/summarypapers/menu.html 3 the term ‘children’ is
used in this booklet to refer to both children and young people.
Where programs and services directly
relate to older children, the term ‘young people’ is used.
4 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
The booklets the findings from Phase 2 are presented in four
individual booklets. each booklet covers a theme in relation to
out-of-home care with profiles of successful programs and services
relevant to that theme. Where practicable, profiles are accompanied
by practice models relating to that theme.
in booklet 1, Characteristics of promising Indigenous out-of-home
care programs and services, common characteristics of the programs
and services that we profiled are outlined. these cover two areas:
organisational practice and service delivery.
in booklet 2, Assessing, training and recruiting Indigenous carers,
specific programs that assess and train indigenous general and
kinship carers are profiled, and a model of how successful
organisations have conducted effective carer recruitment, based on
the findings from Phase 1, is also included.
in booklet 3, Comprehensive support for Indigenous carers and young
people, programs that offer comprehensive support for carers and
young people are profiled in detail.
in booklet 4, Indigenous responses to child protection issues,
programs that collaborate with child protection services to enhance
culturally relevant responses to child protection issues are
profiled.
Characteristics of Promising Indigenous Out-of-Home Care Programs
and Services
section 1: Organisational practice
section 2: Service delivery
a common characteristic of the organisations profiled was that they
take a ‘ground up’ rather than a ‘top down’ approach to service
development and delivery by consulting with community leaders.
their service provision is driven by the ongoing needs of their
communities or client groups. this was true for carer support
programs, training programs and programs that supported young
people in care.
Professionals told us of the importance to them of strengthening
and empowering aboriginal and torres strait islander communities,
and most programs we profiled incorporated strategies to achieve
this. Professionals empowered communities and client groups by:
advocating on their behalf, providing communities or client groups
with knowledge and skills, and by building connections between
communities or client groups so they could benefit from shared
experiences and a common purpose.
the successful organisations profiled had similar management
styles. they had strong leadership, were clear on what their core
business was and operated within the boundaries of this, and took a
collaborative, teamwork approach with staff within a flat
organisational structure. in these organisations, staff felt
valued, had autonomy over their program delivery and had input into
the organisation’s decision-making processes.
successful managers told us that developing strong relationships
with external stakeholders was the key to getting the department or
other organisations on board to fund or approve projects.
Professionals told us that taking a confrontational or aggrieved
approach rarely got them what they wanted. instead, effective
professionals arm themselves with facts or information when
engaging in negotiations. this helps them gain the support of
government departments and other organisations and secure funding
for new or ongoing projects.
an outcome of establishing effective relationships with
stakeholders was that staff became spokespeople for their
organisation in the wider community. through lobbying, advocacy and
speaking at forums and meetings, the organisation and its staff
become known to external stakeholder groups, which in turn may
increase their profile and influence. this has the benefit for
aboriginal and torres strait islander people of introducing more
culturally appropriate ways of addressing child protection and
out-of-home care issues, as well as bringing more cultural
awareness into the mainstream australian community.
Assessing, Training and Recruiting Indigenous Carers
• Step by Step – aboriginal assessment tool (association of
childrens Welfare agencies, in collaboration with the department of
community services, aboriginal services Branch, sydney, nsW)
• Yarning about Kids with Yorganop Carers – indigenous-specific
training program for general and kinship carers (Yorganop, Perth,
Wa)
5assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
• Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong – indigenous-specific
training program for kinship carers (department for child
Protection, formerly the department for community development,
Fostering services, Perth, Wa)
Comprehensive Support for Indigenous Carers and Young People
Comprehensive support for carers
• Aboriginal Carers Network – carer support groups (aboriginal
child, Family and community care state secretariat, sydney,
nsW)
• IFACSS – comprehensive support service for kinship and general
carers (indigenous Family and child support service, Brisbane,
Qld)
Supporting children and young people in out-of-home care
• Keeping Kids Connected – short-term emergency placements with
non-indigenous carers (aboriginal Family support services,
adelaide, sa)
• Panyappi – Mentoring service for indigenous young people
(Metropolitan aboriginal Youth and Family services, adelaide,
sa)
• Marungbai – Leaving and after care service for indigenous young
people (great Lakes Manning aboriginal children’s services, taree,
nsW)
Indigenous Responses to Child Protection Issues
• Lakidjeka – aboriginal child specialist advice and support
service (Victorian aboriginal child care agency, Melbourne,
Vic)
• RAATSICC – remote community response to child protection issues
(remote area aboriginal and torres strait islander child care,
cairns, Qld)
• Safe Families – Family-inclusive approach to addressing child
protection issues (tangentyere shire council, alice springs,
nt)
Workshop materials from the booklets a workshop for professionals
based on the material in the booklets has been developed to enable
professionals to share their experiences, and to explore the
suggestions outlined in the booklets. (see Butler, n. &
Higgins, J.r. (2007). Promising Practices in Out-of-Home Care for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Carers and Children: A
Workshop for Professionals. secretariat of national aboriginal and
islander child care). For more information on the work- shops
contact the secretariat of national aboriginal and islander child
care on (03) 9489 8099.
The overlapping nature of the themes an important finding from the
consultations was the overlapping nature of recruitment,
assessment, training and support programs and services for
enhancing outcomes for carers, children and young people. For
example:
• Quality training programs consistently include broader carer
support functions such as a telephone support service and advocacy
with government departments on behalf of carers;
• carers who receive good support or and training from their
organisations often bring potential carers to the organisation,
thereby facilitating the recruitment of new carers;
• carers who are appropriately trained and resourced develop
skills, knowledge and confidence in their caring role. this leads
to improved outcomes for children and young people in their
care;
• children and young people whose needs are being met through
culturally appropriate placements with well-resourced carers, or by
programs designed to support their needs, demonstrate increased
wellbeing such as improved school attendance, a reduction in
problem behaviours, and an enhanced sense of identity and cultural
connectedness.
6 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
4 (see Higgins, d.J., Bromfield, L.M. and richardson, n. (2005).
Enhancing Out-of-Home Care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander Young People. Melbourne: national chilid Protection
clearinghouse, australian institute of Family studies).
Assessing and training Indigenous carers – Messages from
professionals and carers
in Phase 1: Identifying Strengths and Barriers, participants told
us that there was a need to develop assessment and training
procedures that reflect an understanding of aboriginal and torres
strait islander people’s culture, community values and parenting
practices, as well as the disadvantaged social and material
circumstances that characterise many indigenous people’s lives.
Participants believed this would be an important step in enhancing
the recruitment of more indigenous carers.4
Participants identified four promising approaches to culturally
appropriate assessment:
• Using a flexible approach to assessment criteria;
• Adapting assessment tools to reflect an Indigenous communication
style;
• Harnessing community knowledge in the assessment process;
• Collaboration between organisations and the department in the
approval process.
in relation to training, participants told us they wanted:
• Training in understanding how state and territory departments
work;
• Training that is timely and culturally relevant to Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander carers’ lives;
• cultural sensitivity training for non-indigenous carers of
indigenous children.
From Phase 2: Profiling Promising Programs, the following three
profiles outline assessment and training approaches that have been
developed specifically for indigenous carers, and carers of
indigenous children.
• Step by Step – aboriginal assessment tool (association of
childrens Welfare agencies, in collaboration with the department of
community services, aboriginal services Branch, sydney, nsW)
• Yarning about Kids with Yorganop Carers – indigenous-specific
training program for general and kinship carers (Yorganop, Perth,
Wa)
• Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong – indigenous-specific
training program for kinship carers (department of community
development, Fostering services, Perth, Wa)
the programs reflect characteristics of successful assessment and
training approaches that were identified by participants in Phase
1: Identifying Strengths and Barriers. the first program, Step by
Step, outlines an indigenous- specific assessment tool that can be
used by government and non-government organisations and adapted for
use in other jurisdictions throughout australia. the second
program, Yarning about Kids with Yorganop Carers, was developed to
assess and train both general and kinship carers. the third
program, Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong, is an assess- ment
and training program designed specifically for kinship carers who
may have already been caring for their related children prior to
statutory orders being issued.
What works when assessing and training Indigenous carers
Culturally-appropriate assessment tools work best when staff:
• Allow time to build engagement and trust
• Use story telling rather than lists of direct questions
• Don’t ask questions when the information has been gathered
elsewhere (e.g., a training session; informal communication with
potential carer)
• Draw on community knowledge about the potential of a carer/family
to provide care
• Assess for the same general competencies as for non-Indigenous
carers
• Also assess for:
- demonstration of an understanding of aboriginal kinship
systems
- Knowledge of services for aboriginal children and young
people
- an understanding of the impact of past welfare practices on
aboriginal people
Training programs for Indigenous carers work best when staff:
• Deliver the material in a shared learning environment (e.g.,
learning circles, yarning)
• Draw on the knowledge of experienced carers who participate in
training sessions
• Are flexible in training content and schedules so as to be
responsive to the needs of carers
• Build trusting, ongoing relationships with carers
• Acknowledge and value carers’ knowledge and skills
assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers 7
8 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Step by Step Aboriginal assessment tool
Assessment for carers of Indigenous children, Association of
Childrens Welfare Agencies, Sydney, NSW
the Step by Step aboriginal assessment tool is an assessment
package that has been developed by the association of childrens
Welfare agencies (acWa) in collaboration with the department of
community services’ (docs), aboriginal services Branch in sydney,
new south Wales.
Step by Step is a process where assessors and applicants work
together to come to a decision as to whether an applicant is
suitable to be a foster carer. Step by Step is designed to
complement the Aboriginal Foster Care Training Package, which sets
out nine modules to enable indigenous foster carers to explore the
challenges and rewards of caring. the assessment tool was developed
by Louise Mulroney of acWa in collaboration with the new south
Wales department of community services’ aboriginal services
Branch.
the Step by Step aboriginal assessment tool is mostly suited for
aboriginal cultures, reflecting the indigenous popu- lation of new
south Wales, although it provides guidance as to how it could be
used when assessing torres strait islander people who are applying
to be foster carers.
the aim of the assessment tool is to have quality assessment tools
that are effective in an aboriginal context. the package is based
on the mainstream Step by Step assessment tool that was published
in 2003.
the Step by Step aboriginal assessment tool differs from other
mainstream assessment tools in two important ways: it assesses a
carer’s capacity to raise an indigenous child in an aboriginal
cultural environment, and it allows an assessor to use an
indigenous communication style of trust building and yarning,
rather than direct, closed questions. While suggested questions are
included in the package, the focus is on listening and gathering
informa- tion that allows the assessor to make an informed decision
as to whether an applicant has the necessary qualities to care for
an aboriginal child or young person.
the development of both the indigenous and non-indigenous packages
has been an extensive and comprehensive process. Both are able to
be adapted in other states and territories, with limited
modification, by government departments and non-government
organisations throughout australia.
Getting the Step By Step Aboriginal assessment tool up and
running
2003 Mainstream Step by Step package published for use with
non-indigenous carers throughout nsW
2003–05 extensive community consultation and revision of aboriginal
assessment tool
2005 Mainstream Step by Step package evaluated externally
2006 Step by Step aboriginal assessment tool piloted throughout
nsW
2006 Victorian version of mainstream Step by Step released
2007 Step by Step aboriginal assessment tool commenced usage
Developing an assessment tool from scratch
When staff at acWa began to develop the mainstream assessment tool
they looked as existing material, but did not find any australian
resources that focus on competencies required by carers.
‘When we got to [developing an] assessment tool we didn’t see it in
existence anywhere else. We asked ourselves, “What are the
competencies we’re looking for? How do we find and record these
competencies and be comfortable at the end of the assessment
process that this person can care appropriately?”’
9assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
the mainstream version of Step by Step became available in 2003 and
rapidly became the preferred tool for use within nsW. an evaluation
of the package confirmed its effectiveness in making decisions
about the suitability of potential foster carers. the Victorian
version was released in 2006.
Adapting the mainstream Step by Step assessment
aboriginal professionals were interested in administering an
assessment package like Step by Step and had started adapting it
for their usage. acWa was given funds to coordinate a project to
produce one consistent aboriginal version of Step by Step.
Consultations with Aboriginal communities
From 2003 to 2005, three rounds of consultations with aboriginal
communities throughout new south Wales were carried out to develop
the indigenous version of the assessment tool. Five aboriginal
services then conducted 20 individual assessments to trial the
assessment tool. the department of community services also
established an aboriginal reference group comprising departmental
representatives from different regions who met every two months.
the feedback from the consultations, trials and reference group
meetings directed the development of the current assessment
tool.
‘We have added things from the feedback, and if we review the
mainstream package it will probably include many of these.’
Similarity in general competency needs
While developing a culturally appropriate assessment tool was
paramount, it was still necessary to conduct the same rigorous
assessment for a carer’s general competencies.
General competencies
Feedback from consultations indicated that the same four general
competencies needed to be demonstrated for aboriginal carers as for
non-indigenous carers:
• Personal readiness to be able to provide care;
• Capacity to be a team player;
• Ability to promote the positive development of a child;
• Capacity to keep the child safe.
‘If you look through the mainstream and Aboriginal assessments,
apart from [the Indigenous- specific competencies] there isn’t a
lot of difference, and that is after a huge amount of consultation.
This was after asking if people wanted to scrap this and do one
that was completely Aboriginal-specific. Did they want to make huge
changes to this, or did they want to make some changes? The
feedback, from three different sets of consultations over two to
three years, was consistently, “A lot of it is brilliant but there
are some specific changes that need to be made.”... We were
surprised as people were saying, “As long as the trust and
engagement stuff was there, we need to find out the same stuff as
for mainstream carers.” We’ve got the same four core
competencies.’
Additional Indigenous-specific competencies
it was identified in the feedback that potential carers also needed
to be assessed for an additional indigenous- specific competency to
ensure an aboriginal child would be cared for in a culturally safe
manner.
Moving away from direct, closed assessment questions
Feedback indicated it was important to adopt an appropriate
communication style. Moving away from a direct,
assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
intrusive questioning style to a more sensitive approach was
something that was valued by indigenous and non- indigenous
carers.
‘It’s about moving away from mainstream lists and lists of
questions that were very intrusive. That was our starting point...
We’ve moved from a rigid and structured form of questioning...
[This tool] was developed with knowledge about how people respond
well and we learned that people don’t respond well when they are
hit with a whole lot of questions.’
the different communication style means that the assessor is
focused on the information they need to find out, rather than
asking a certain question. in this way assessors are able to
determine whether the person meets each of the criteria.
‘Your starting point is not, “What are the questions?” but “What
information do we need to find out?” So even in the mainstream
assessment you’re free to have conversations with people but the
tool gives you prompts.’
Using appropriate language to gather relevant information
another suggested change from the mainstream assessment was using
language in ways that would draw out relevant information.
‘There were also changes around language and recognising people’s
biases about caring for Aboriginal kids and if they had issues
around this you would be able to recognise that early in the
piece.’
The need for culturally-specific case scenarios
one significant difference between the mainstream and indigenous
packages is that the case scenarios in the mainstream package were
not relevant to aboriginal family situations. so while there was a
need for both packages to test the same competency principles, the
indigenous package uses case scenarios that are relevant to
aboriginal culture and the lifestyles of aboriginal families.
The need for carer-centred assessment tools
staff have found that the Step by Step assessment approach is
appropriate for both indigenous and non- indigenous carers because
it is more focused on the needs of the carers rather than the needs
of the department or organisation.
‘So many of the things Aboriginal people didn’t like about the
mainstream assessment tools, non-Aboriginal people didn’t like
either. It really highlighted how poor our general assessment tools
were that nobody liked them and we weren’t sure that we were
getting the information we needed at the end of it. This is a mile
away from other assessment tools. It’s coming from community
people, not just [departmental] people.’
Indigenous assessment tools may become mainstream
staff felt that the indigenous tool may actually end up as the
mainstream assessment tool as suggestions for improvement that were
made by indigenous people were qualities that would be valued by
non-indigenous carers as well.
‘I think it will be interesting to see what happens with these
packages. I would be using the Indigenous one with non-Indigenous
applicants. They might become mainstream because [we’ve] learned
from the mistakes of the mainstream package, and [the Indigenous
package] has a cultural component which you can use [or not use] if
you need to.’
10
The assessors
Non-Indigenous assessors need to have cultural competency
the assessment tool is designed to be used by a team of two
assessors. due to the shortage of indigenous staff, one person in
the assessment team may not be aboriginal. non-indigenous assessors
need a level of cultural competency before administering an
assessment to potential indigenous carers.
‘Two of the things that a non-Aboriginal person would really have
to have are community knowledge about what’s happening within that
community, and an understanding of the impact of policies that have
affected Aboriginal people such as the Stolen Generation.’
Non-Indigenous carers need knowledge of the current impact of past
welfare practices
the importance of non-indigenous assessors having knowledge of the
impact of past welfare practices on aboriginal people before
assessing a potential carer of indigenous children is highlighted
when staff conduct training with non-indigenous carers.
‘In the training we show the Bringing them Home video, and some
[non-Indigenous participants] felt they were living a lie and this
was hidden from them. It was an eye-opener for people who would
open their doors up to Aboriginal kids because they wanted to do a
service, but they certainly didn’t know the impact of those
policies and practices that affected Aboriginal people and their
views changed about Aboriginal people... It generated so much
discussion. It really changed the non-Aboriginal people’s views
about Aboriginal people.’
Indigenous assessors may have community knowledge
aboriginal assessors may have a strong involvement and connection
with the same community as potential assessors. such a situation
may be of benefit because assessors will have existing knowledge of
the capacity of a potential carer family. this prior knowledge may
mean the assessor does not need to ask the applicant directly about
issues they already know.
The assessment tool the assessment tool is a written document
outlining the competencies a potential carer is required to dem-
onstrate. the assessment encourages a conversational style of
gathering information about a competency. an ‘assessment record’
section of the tool includes both a ‘checklist’ of tick boxes
against each competency and spaces to note down information
provided by the applicant so that the assessor can determine
whether the potential carer has the capacity to provide appropriate
care of the child.
1 Contact a potential carer contacts the foster care agency and the
enquiry is registered.
2 Information pack the potential carer is sent an information
pack.
3 Registration of interest the potential carer completes a
‘registration of interest’ form.
4 Information session the potential carer and their family attend
an information exchange session. agency workers and an experienced
carer, if appropriate, will be in attendance.
5 Carer application the potential carer completes an ‘application
to Become a Foster carer’ form.
6 Training the potential carer completes a training course.
7 Assessment the potential carer is assessed by the foster care
agency.
8 Checks the potential carer undergoes checks, including health,
accommodation, background and criminal record, and personal
references.
9 Decision application is either approved or not approved.
10 Carer agreement if application is approved: carer signs a ‘code
of conduct’ agreement.
if application is not approved: the applicant may accept the
decision or can appeal.
11 Matching a child or young person is matched with the family. the
family decides whether to accept the placement.
12 Ongoing training the agency provides ongoing training.
13 Ongoing support the agency provides ongoing support.
How to assess Indigenous carers
The Step by Step Aboriginal assessment tool the assessment and
training package for registering new carers involves a 13-step
process. the package is designed so that:
• Assessment and training can occur concurrently; • Assessment can
be completed prior to training; or • Assessment can be undertaken
following training.
The assessment process the assessment process involves the
following steps as the potential carer moves from the enquiry and
applica- tion stages, through to becoming a registered carer.
12 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Assessing for four general competencies
the Step by Step aboriginal assessment tool is based around four
general competencies:
a. Personal readiness to be able to provide care – not bringing
baggage that would cut across their ability to take care of
children;
B. capacity and willingness to be a team player so they are not
just taking the child and going home, but recognising they are part
of an agency system and have to work with the department;
c. capacity and willingness to promote the positive development of
a child;
d. ability to keep children safe – having knowledge around sexual
assault and demonstrating safe practices in their own family
situations.
Assessment process
competency sessions B through d (above) begin with an opportunity
to review how the assessment is going so far for the potential
carer and the assessor. this gives both the assessor and the
potential carer time to develop a relationship and gather
information.
Assessing for Indigenous-specific competencies
the aboriginal assessment package differs from the mainstream
package in four key areas:
1. it assesses whether applicants can demonstrate aboriginal
cultural competency and whether they have the capacity and
willingness to promote a positive aboriginal identity.
this competency has been incorporated into general competency ‘c’,
‘promoting the positive development of a child or young person’,
and includes:
– identifying ways of encouraging children and young people to take
pride in their own cultural identity by demonstrating active
participation in aboriginal communities; demonstrating an
understanding of aboriginal kinship systems; and demonstrating
knowledge of organisations providing services to aboriginal
children and young people;
– describing opportunities for children and young people to
participate in and learn about their family, community, culture,
religious and language heritage;
– identifying the importance of sharing and safely storing
memorabilia during the placement;
– describing opportunities for children and young people to develop
strengths, interests and abilities.
2. Language throughout the assessment is accessible and
informal.
3. Material relating to the context of foster care for aboriginal
children and young people is explored, such as:
– an understanding of the impact of the stolen generation on
aboriginal and torres strait islander people today;
– the loss and grief experienced by aboriginal communities as a
result of past government practices;
– Family functioning and kinship systems within aboriginal
communities;
– culturally respectful and sensitive approaches to gathering
information;
– understanding of the aboriginal child Placement Principle in
child protection legislation;
– Being informed about relevant community dynamics in relation to
the out-of-home placement of indigenous children.
13assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
4. sections on strategies for using the tool in a culturally
appropriate way, including:
– engaging and building trust with aboriginal applicants;
– exploring sensitive topics such as conflict and sexual
abuse;
– using the questions in Step by Step as ‘prompts’ for conversation
rather than a formal interview structure;
– Working with applicants who are not literate;
– appropriate use of information already known to the assessor
about the applicant because of existing community contact.
Progressive assessment of competency
as the assessor works through each competency to be assessed, they
assign a grading of ‘green-go!’, ‘orange- slow!’ or ‘red-stop!’
against each one.
‘green-go!’ indicates that the person can meet the competency, and
this is recorded on the assessment record. the assessor then moves
on to the next item.
‘orange-slow!’ indicates that the potential carer may need further
development for that competency such as training, reading, or
thinking through an issue. examples of issues that may warrant an
‘orange-slow!’ grading include:
• inconsistencies or conflicting information in the potential
carer’s story;
• Gaps in their history they are not willing to talk about;
• Inappropriate responses to a specific issue;
• Preoccupation of the applicant with a particular issue;
• Non-verbal information such as body language or lack of emotional
affect.
six steps for exploring ‘orange-slow!’ concerns include:
– Naming the specific concern and ensuring it is relevant to
providing foster care;
– Exploring the information provided such as the context, or any
cultural, gender or class understandings that may have obscured the
meaning of the information given;
– asking for additional examples to find out if the information is
part of a pattern or isolated and unlikely to impact on the
person’s capacity to foster;
– asking the applicant for their view about the issue and its
possible impact on a child in care;
– seeking information from other sources (e.g., from those who know
the applicant);
– considering whether the concern is due to a lack of knowledge or
experience that may be addressed through training.
after exploring ‘orange-slow!’ concerns the assessor may determine
that: the issue has been satisfactorily resolved and the carer is
graded a ‘green-go!’ for that competency; there are some continuing
concerns that may be addressed in later sessions; or the potential
carer does not demonstrate the competency and should be graded a
‘red-stop!’.
‘Red-Stop!’ indicates that the person does not have the necessary
qualities to care for an indigenous child. this may include
expressing racist or judgmental views, having anger-management
issues or punitive parenting styles such as the routine use of
physical punishment. a ‘red-stop!’ grading may also be given if a
potential carer demonstrates:
– significant inconsistencies in factual information;
– significant inconsistencies between information given by the
potential carer and their emotional response; or
14 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
– demonstration of grandiose or incredible information that is not
supported by evidence.
three steps for dealing with ‘red-stop!’ issues:
– Raise the issue with the applicant and indicate why their
application would not be approved;
– Provide the applicant with optional strategies to address
significant issues and (if appropriate) assure the applicant they
can reapply when they have addressed the issue;
– invite the applicant to complete a ‘Withdrawal of application’
form. the assessor should indicate on the form the competency that
was not met and the basis on which a reapplication would be
considered (if applicable).
Assessment style
‘Yarning’
using a yarning style of gathering information enables the assessor
to explore the potential carer’s history in a way that feels less
confronting than mainstream assessment tools. the assessment
process engages the potential carer in a conversation about a
scenario. the potential carer is encouraged to discuss their views
on a subject or demonstrate how they would respond to a certain
situation. the more sensitive, yarning style of gathering
information promotes trust and engagement between assessor and
potential carer.
‘Engagement and trust issues come early and we work on those early
in the piece in terms of them feeling comfortable about talking to
us as assessors.’
While the yarning style of gathering information may take longer,
potential carers are more comfortable in providing the necessary
information.
‘It recognises that you might have to spend longer with a person
before you start, but once the process starts you’re doing the same
thing, collecting data through conversations.’
The assessor is responsible for collecting the information
using a more informal style of information-gathering places more
responsibility on the assessor to determine the carer’s suitability
by engaging them in stories to gain information.
‘It’s not so informal that you could forget to talk about some
things altogether. If in the yarns you realise at the end of it we
didn’t actually talk about that, you’ll see you haven’t talked
about it because when you fill in the boxes, you’ll pick it up. [If
you] didn’t hear anything about talking about the kids’ feelings,
you go back and say “How do I have a conversation about that?”
You’re driven by what you’re looking for, not what the questions
are. There are questions to ask if you think there are issues about
that, such as “Have you tried to have kids in the past?” “What’s
your feeling about that?” If they’re freezing up and not talking
about that, you think, “Well here’s something we might have to talk
about.” You don’t go digging for dirt; you hear the stories.’
Drawing on information already available
if the information has been provided elsewhere, such as at another
point in the assessment or in training sessions, the assessor does
not have to cover that area again.
‘The assessor has to find evidence of whether the person has
competencies to be a carer. In training they can also assess
because in training they may tell stories about things or
experiences they have had so the carers don’t have to go through a
formal process all the time if there is information out there that
they know.’
15assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Questions are accompanied by prompts
Prompts remind the assessor to consider whether they already have
the necessary information from previous questions or prior
discussions, so that they do not ask questions unnecessarily.
‘Every prompt question has got a connection to why you’re asking
the questions so you’ll see when you look at it, in the column it
says, “Remember, only ask this question if you don’t have evidence
that the applicant can, for example, recognise and deal with stress
constructively.” If you already know that because you know them
personally or you’ve seen them in training and know they can do
that because they’ve told a story where they had to do that, then
you don’t ask the question. You don’t need to go there, you already
know your information.” In the new assessment if someone, during
the conversation has already supplied you with that information,
you don’t have to ask those questions. You almost use it as a
checklist at the end: “Have we covered these questions?”’
The assessment can use alternative tools
at points throughout the assessment, the assessor can use tools
such as an ‘eco-map’ or ‘sociogram’ on which they draw information
about a potential carer’s family and friends, hobbies, and
activities they engage in. other tools, such as when the assessor
discusses the views of children in the household to fostering,
include: using paper and marker pens to draw on; using
photo-language sets of pictures that display a range of moods and
responses; making collages to convey information; or using ‘Bear
cards’ that display 48 different personalities and feelings.
The process can be stopped by agreement at any time
By working through the material, both the assessor and the
potential carer can stop at any point to discuss issues that may
need to be explored, and identify areas that the carer may need to
work on before they can become a carer. the assessment process can
also be ceased at any point in time by mutual agreement, and the
assessor can use the ‘red-stop!’, ‘orange-slow!’ and ‘green-go!’
strategy as indicators of whether to continue on with the
assessment.
‘The assessment package is designed so that you start the process
off and if at any point things come up and you think this person
may not be suitable you stop it at that point by agreement. It’s
designed around four basic sessions and at the end of each session
is the opportunity for both the person who is applying and the
person who is assessing to think about whether there are other
things that need to be explored, or are there things straight away
that indicates the person is not suitable. So rather than keeping
on going you can say, “This is an area to be worked on, and once
that’s been worked on you can come back and start up the process
again.”’
the information describing how to conduct an assessment of
aboriginal carers is an outline of the Step by Step aboriginal
assessment tool. For more information, contact Louise Mulroney,
association of childrens Welfare agencies, Locked Bag 13,
Haymarket, nsW 1240. telephone: (02) 9281 8822. Fax: (02) 9281
8827, or go to their website at: www.acwa.asn.au.
16 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
17assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Getting Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers up and
running
1997 dawn Wallam joined Yorganop to manage the training
program.
1999 review of services. decision to develop a culturally specific
training program.
2000 consulting with communities, developing training content.
Yorganop became a registered training organisation.
Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers
Assessment and training for Indigenous carers, Yorganop, Perth,
WA
‘It’s the way in which we work with [carers]. We value our carers
and we let them know that they’re valued and we think that the
relationship with them is really important, and actually build a
relationship with our carers.’
Yorganop child care aboriginal corporation is funded by the
australian government department of Families, community services
and indigenous affairs and the Western australian department of
community development. Yorganop provides a range of services,
including the assessment and training of carers of aboriginal and
torres strait islander children aged 0 to 15 years who are placed
in emergency, short- and long- term foster placements.
Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers is a culturally appropriate
training program for aboriginal and torres strait islander carers
and non-indigenous carers of indigenous children developed by
Yorganop. Yorganop also conducts culturally appropriate assessments
of carers. While these two functions are distinct, they also
overlap: the training starts in the assessment and assessment
continues throughout and following training. Yorganop is now a
registered training organisation (rto), which has enhanced their
credibility in the sector.
‘And I think that because we are an RTO, training is what we do,
it’s not an additional thing, whereas for other organisations it’s
something extra to do. Becoming an RTO gives you that knowledge
around targeting what you’re delivering to the needs of the client
group... And by doing one thing really well and demonstrating that
you can do it really well and getting really good outcomes has led
to other opportunities. They know we offer a quality
service.’
after carers have been assessed, they participate in Yorganop’s
training program. the program consists of 10 training modules,
which the carers are required to complete within a two-year period.
Yorganop staff take a shared learning approach to delivering
training, and all carers have the opportunity to share their
knowledge and experiences with the group as training progresses
through the modules.
the ten training modules are:
• Getting started
• Helping kids settle arguments
18 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
in 1999, Yorganop restructured its services as a result of a review
initiated by the department of community development (dcd). the
review provided an opportunity for Yorganop staff to determine how
they would go about developing a culturally appropriate assessment
and training program for indigenous carers.
Developing the assessment tool
the first step in recruiting potential carers is administering an
assessment. initially, Yorganop used the department’s assessment
tool as a guide to develop their assessment strategy for kinship
and non-kinship carers.
‘We looked at... how the department did their assessment and we
revamped that to fit what we were doing. And I think ours is a bit
more rigid than the department’s, and we don’t make any distinction
between a kinship and a general carer – they all get the same
assessment. And they get some homework with the assessment as well,
which is a good gauge of motivation.’
Seeking community input
staff sought input from rural, regional and metropolitan
communities across Western australia about community needs to
ensure that the program would be relevant to the diversity of
communities in that state. this feedback provided valuable baseline
information from which Yorganop could develop its own assessment
and training program.
Using traditional ways to deliver training
in order to ensure the training program was culturally relevant for
aboriginal and torres strait islander people, Yorganop decided to
draw on traditional ways of sharing knowledge, using a learning
circle approach.
‘We decided that we would go back to doing things the way in which
Aboriginal people traditionally learned, and it was just about
having those learning circles and we called it “yarning”, “Yarning
About Kids with Yorganop Carers”.’
Fine-tuning of the content
Yorganop continued to review and fine-tune training modules to
ensure the content was appropriate as the course progressed. they
now have a training package that is targeted to the content needs
of their carers.
‘It’s about making sure the content is appropriate and that’s taken
us a long time to develop that, so it’s about meeting your target
needs.’
Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers assessment and training
program Yorganop’s Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers has 10
training modules. throughout the training program carers are
encouraged to share their knowledge and skills and everyone
contributes to the learning experience.
Delivering the material in a shared learning environment
an important aspect of Yorganop’s training program is the way in
which the material is delivered. Yorganop staff create a shared
learning environment and involve the participants in
discussions.
‘Our training is not a chalk and talk; we don’t have someone up
there doing [it]. It’s a yarn, you have a discussion, have a
conversation, so no one has necessarily got all the information
there. It’s shared learning.’
Carers must complete 10 training modules
Potential carers agree to complete 10 training modules over a
two-year period. they receive a certificate for completing each
module, and are encouraged to take additional courses as
well.
‘Training for carers is written into their [agreement]. When they
are assessed they agree to complete 10 modules of training over a
2-year period. [The 10 modules are] mandatory. They usually get
through the training in 12 months but we give them the 2 years if
there are things that come up. Every carer gets a certificate after
they’ve taken each module. We also strongly encourage our carers to
do the Indigenous Positive Parenting Program... Our focus on the
training is to ensure that our carers are really well versed in any
sorts of issues that crop up in caring for kids.’
The 10 modules are:
1. Getting started. this module covers things that new carers need
to know such as confidentiality, critical incidents, care plan
reviews, carer reports, relationships and responsibilities of
carers, and roles and responsibilities of Yorganop and the
department.
2. Dealing with sadness. this module relates to children missing
people and things, and puts carers in touch with how the child may
be feeling about being away from home and their families. it covers
grief issues, sadness, anger, denial, pining and contact with the
child’s family. it also covers loving and letting go for the carer
when the child is reunified, and the transition to
reunification.
3. Growing up kids. this module covers the growing up and
development of children, adolescence, yarning about children,
learning by playing and doing small jobs, working in with the
school to help children learn, and respite, personal care and
support.
4. Helping kids behave. this module covers helping carers to
enforce boundaries such as no hitting, choice and consequences,
setting the rules, understanding of consequences, motivation,
inclusion and listening, consistency and time out, ways to
discipline negative behaviour, star charts, rewarding, accepting
responsibility, understanding, child focus, positive reinforcement,
problem solving, working with schools, and using the indigenous
educational officers at the school.
5. Family and health. this module talks about blended families,
sharing and caring in families, the health of the child in your
care, health department booklets and health topics.
6. First aid. in this module, carers complete or update their First
aid certificate and get first aid tips.
7. Helping kids who have been harmed. this module covers harm that
the child may have suffered, including what harm is, protection and
self-protection.
8. Helping kids settle arguments. this module helps carers assist
children in dealing with anger. it also
How to train Indigenous carers
19assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
includes yarning about helping children in care to feel good about
themselves.
9. Caring for teenagers. this module covers boundaries,
responsibilities and freedom for teenagers, as well as future
planning.
10. Helping kids face the world. this module covers aboriginal
ways. it takes a family tree focus (making sure children are
connected), and talks about acceptance and helping kids find a
place in the world.
Supplementing the training modules with videos and discussion
When carers have completed a module, trainers may supplement the
information with a video to generate conversation about the topic
if they feel that would be useful. the videos were made by Yorganop
using Yorganop staff and carers, who yarn about their experiences
on that topic.
‘For each of these modules there’s a video that goes with them to
spark discussion... The way those videos are set up, they’re just a
group of people sitting around having a yarn and we didn’t script
those at all. We just threw the topic out there and they gave their
opinions. So they’re not necessarily “correct”, and some of the
things they might say might be right out there, but they will spark
a discussion. Because someone might say, “For goodness sakes, when
my kids were little I used to give them a good smack.” And someone
else might say, “Oh my God, well you can’t be smacking kids today,
you’re not allowed to.” And so there’s big discussion about that.
And out of that will actually come ways of dealing with kids’
behaviour without actually hitting them.’
Being flexible about delivering training content
another important aspect of Yorganop’s training style is being
flexible about content. if a carer has an issue, rather than
waiting for that topic to come up in a few weeks time, the material
is introduced when it is needed.
‘If we know that a carer might have a particular issue and they
might not raise it themselves, we’ll make sure it gets raised as an
issue. So you might just throw something in when you see the
opportunity.’
Yorganop staff will also discuss topics that are not usually
covered in the modules, but address a specific issue a carer may
need information on concerning a child in their care.
‘If a specific issue arises for a carer... we have had some kids
with foetal alcohol syndrome... we might resource specific
information around a topic. We’ll gather up some resources. We
might talk to key people who might be able to provide some
additional information. Then we’ll go out and sit one-on-one with
that carer and we’ll go through whatever the issue is, and provide
them with resources, so they feel that the child is not just going
off for treatment and they are the one who looks after them when
they get home. They have an understanding of what the treatment is,
what they can do to support the treatment, what strategies they can
use, and those types of things.’
Options if carers miss a module
if carers cannot attend a module, they have the option of attending
that module at a different venue, or having a one-on-one training
session if necessary.
‘We repeat training modules at each location. They can go to other
locations if they miss a unit. We also do one-on-one training if
people are working.’
Following up with carers if they miss a module
Yorganop ensures that carers receive the training they need and are
comfortable with attending training by following up when carers
miss a module.
20 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
‘Where we’ve maybe had a couple of carers who didn’t come along to
the training, [we follow up] to make sure that they came along and
they felt good about coming. So it’s doing work with them between
training. Making sure that, without being intrusive [and saying],
“Why aren’t you at training?” But... “Okay, we have this carer and
she hasn’t been to the last two training sessions,” [and] having
that discussion here with the [worker] who’s actually supporting
that carer, and then working out what we might do to get them to
come along. Finding out the reason why they’re not coming. And...
sometimes they’ve fallen out with another carer, so being mindful
of those dynamics and making room for that. So then maybe we’ll
suggest, “It would be good if you came to the training here because
our numbers have fallen off and you’d make up the balance.” Or, “We
really need you to come to this one because we’d like you to have a
yarn about ...” And sort of empowering them.’
Sharing stories through yarning
creating a shared learning environment involves taking time for
participants to share their stories and link expe- riences to
learning messages.
‘We like to spend time to yarn with them about a particular issue.
A lot of it is just about how the message is delivered... And once
you get yarning it’s amazing how many different experiences the
content or the theory and the background can be grounded in. Almost
everybody in the room has an experience that they can share that’s
relevant to the topic. It’s generating that discussion.’
Drawing on the knowledge of experienced carers
the program draws on the knowledge of experienced carers who share
their stories with new carers.
‘We’ve got some really experienced carers who can sit around the
room and share their experiences with the newer carers as well and
I think they find it quite rewarding that it’s coming from one of
their peers, rather than someone up there telling them how it
should be or how it’s going to be. And it’s through yarning that a
lot of this stuff comes out... The training is often about people
sharing their problems and difficulties and someone else [says],
“Oh, I looked after a kid once who was like that ...” They
certainly prefer someone that they respect in the community and
someone who’s got some experience as well. I think if it’s coming
from someone who’s younger and it’s coming out of a textbook it’s
not quite as powerful.’
Sharing experiences helps carers feel supported
Having experienced carers share experiences of raising children who
often have challenging behaviours helps newer carers understand and
manage issues relating to the children in their care.
‘It’s about those shared experiences. They know that they’re not
the only person out there who’s grappling with these sorts of
issues. I guess a lot of these little people that we are seeing are
becoming increasingly more challenging in their behaviours that
they display and often at a younger age. So if you are relatively
new to foster care it can be a bit of a shock to the system when
you see these young children and the challenging behaviours that
they display. And if they haven’t experienced it with their own
children it can be difficult as well. The big part for us is trying
to give the carers a bit of an insight into what might be causing
these behaviours or what’s driving these behaviours as well and the
impact of the children’s experiences as well.’
21assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
22 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Creating a ‘Yorganop carer’ community
Building strong relationships with carers
central to Yorganop’s success is the importance they place on
building strong, supportive relationships with their carers.
Yorganop has created a carer community that supports each other,
contributes to the service and becomes involved in wider community
activities, which has flow-on benefits for children in care.
at Yorganop, building a relationship starts in the assessment,
continues through training, and is ongoing while the carer is
involved with the service. Yorganop now has a team of dedicated
long-term carers, and continues to recruit new carers.
Ensuring carers are adequately equipped to meet the needs of
children in care
Yorganop staff believe that the best way of meeting the needs of
children in care is to ensure that carers have all the support and
resources they need to do their job well.
‘Our primary focus is to make sure the carer is resourced and able
to provide a quality placement. And we figure the outcomes [for
children] flow from there ...’
Yorganop ensures their carers are:
• Provided with relevant and thorough knowledge and skills;
• Provided with comprehensive support to meet the needs of the
children in their care;
• Acknowledged and appreciated for the work they do.
Yorganop sees carers as colleagues
Yorganop values the knowledge, skills and insights of experienced
carers, who become partners in ensuring posi- tive outcomes for
children.
‘We don’t treat [carers] like clients. They’re our colleagues,
because we’re all working together toward the one end, and that’s
to provide really quality placements for the children that come
into care. It’s a partnership.’
Current carers refer new carers
Most foster care services need to actively recruit new carers
through promotion or publicity. Potential Yorganop carers are often
referred by current carers, or refer themselves as they have heard
about Yorganop from others and want to be a part of the
service.
‘We have 100 per cent retention rate of carers... We’ve actually
never had to advertise for carers. All our carers come to us by
word-of-mouth from referrals from the other carers ...’
Using training venues that carers can access
Yorganop takes the training program out into communities where
indigenous people live, rather than expecting carers to come to
them. they pay particular attention to finding training venues that
would be easy for carers to get to, and that they would feel
comfortable attending.
‘We deliver the training out into the community, we don’t expect
carers to come to us. [We did some] minor tinkering with the venues
to make sure it was the right venue, the right environment, the
right location. And also that the venue was Aboriginal friendly,
and that people would feel comfortable coming into that place
...’
23assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Carers are shown they are valued
Yorganop staff put effort into showing carers that they are valued
by providing support and appreciation for the work that they do,
which extends to acknowledging the carer’s own family.
‘It’s the little things that we do with our carers that builds on
the relationship that we have with them so they know that they’re
supported and they are appreciated. Just little things, like we
acknowledge their own children and the importance of their own
children in that family, and they know that they’re not forgotten
and that we’re only interested in our children in care. So we
actually acknowledge anything that [their children] do. Their
birthdays... we send birthday cards out to them, and if they’ve
excelled at something we acknowledge it, we might send them a
little certificate or just a mention that they’ve done something
really great. At Christmas parties and activities, we have foster
kids and their own kids and there’s no distinction between the two.
Once a year we have a carers appreciation lunch where we actually
take them off to a hotel and have a big lunch for them and we have
a 100 per cent turnout... 120 per cent. There are people we didn’t
even realise we had a relationship with!’
Sensitive issues can be discussed in an environment of trust
a benefit of building a relationship with carers is that if
difficult issues arise, Yorganop staff are able to discuss concerns
in an environment of trust.
‘We’ve built up a relationship with the carers over a number of
years... We’ve got an established relationship with the carer and
that’s actually really useful when you have to deal with quite
sensitive, difficult issues, that we can take the time and frame it
in a manner that’s both respectful but addresses the issue... And
because we’ve actually built that strong relationship with our
carers, they’re also willing to go the extra yard for us.’
Carers become confident and empowered
the relationship Yorganop staff build with carers, and the support
and acknowledgment they receive, empowers carers to feel confident
in dealing with issues, and building community networks.
‘[The relationship] empowers these carers... we’ve had carers
who’ve started off, they’d be contacting us every week about every
little issue. These carers five years down the track are
implementing programs within their local community, accessing
government funding, you just see these people grow.’
Yorganop’s assessment process
Current carers informally ‘ screen’ potential carers
Yorganop carers often refer potential carers who they believe have
the capacity to provide quality foster care. For Yorganop, this
means many potential carers have already been partially ‘screened’
before coming to the service.
‘So some of that early work is already done, that screening,
because our carers won’t actually refer a carer to us who they
don’t think is going to be suitable.’
Yorganop draws on community knowledge to assess new carers
an important aspect of Yorganop’s assessment process is that it
draws on knowledge from community members as to whether they are
suitable, as community members often have information about a
potential carer that cannot be gathered through the formal
assessment process.
24 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
‘And part of the [assessment process], where it’s a bit different
to the others, is the community screening process where we actually
use our community and our community knowledge, which is our carers,
as references to look at whether or not a carer is suitable.
Because often you can do all your checks and everything on paper
and it comes up clean but there might be a whole lot of other stuff
that you find out afterwards ...’
Potential carers often know what to expect in the assessment
process
as potential Yorganop carers come to the service after hearing
about it from other carers, they often have prior knowledge of what
to expect in the assessment process.
‘[Many potential carers] already know a lot of our carers... So to
a certain extent they’ve been prepped by our carers as to what the
assessment looks like. So before we even get to the front door they
have some understanding of what’s going to occur.’
Yorganop staff take a sensitive approach to gathering assessment
information
Most organisations and government departments use assessment tools
that are culturally inappropriate to the lives of indigenous
people. they employ a direct style of inquiry that is experienced
as confronting and intrusive.
Yorganop uses a communication style that is sensitive enough to
engage potential aboriginal and torres strait islander carers, yet
still gain the necessary information about potential carers’
capacity to provide quality care.
‘[The assessment is] probably the most intrusive part of our
relationship [with the carer], because we do ask quite a few
personal questions and we need to know some intimate details and
that’s not always easy... But that is discussed with the people up
front. We do tell them up front that that there may be things we
have to ask that they may find a little bit confronting. We ask
them to give us feedback on how it’s going as well. We don’t twist
anybody’s arm for information.’
Assessment questions are communicated in a culturally appropriate
way
Yorganop’s assessment process uses a more culturally sensitive,
conversational communication style and open- ended questions to
obtain information about a potential carer’s ability to care.
‘It’s a balance between yarning and... If you’ve done quite a few
assessments you can yarn around and get all the information that
you need. If [you haven’t] you probably need to go through the
documentation a little more closely. But we don’t sit there with a
clipboard and pen on one side of the table and them on the other
ticking off the boxes.’
Carers are ‘reassessed’ every year
carers are reviewed annually in accordance with Yorganop’s
standards of providing care. the review also provides carers with
the opportunity to give feedback regarding training and other
services Yorganop provides to carers.
‘Every year our carers get reviewed. So, as well as having the big,
full-blown assessment at the beginning when they come on board, we
also have a review process every 12 months. And that review is...
almost like a mini reassessment in that we look at how the training
has been for them, we review their training that they’ve actually
completed, and anything else that they’ve done as well. And this
gives them the opportunity to give us feedback on how the training
is going for them. What they’re getting from us.’
25assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
The benefits of becoming a Yorganop carer
Carers become involved in community activities
the confidence carers gain from their connection with Yorganop
encourages them to become more involved in community life. in one
region, carers have developed programs with the local school that
the children in their care attend:
‘In one of our regions, our carers are pretty much heading up the
community down there. They’re the drivers of so many initiatives.
Our carers have set up breakfast clubs at schools. I’d say pretty
much almost 100 per cent of our carers have got really strong
relationships with schools. They do the homework classes a couple
of days after school. There’s opportunity for the Indigenous kids
at school to spend an hour or two after school doing the homework
classes. [One] school... had no programs at all until our carers
decided, “Let’s do something at the school.” And there was no
relationship between the community and the school. And for a small
primary school they had over 120 Indigenous kids so it was a huge
proportion of the population. And they had an open day last year,
and they had something like 80 carers and Indigenous parents at the
school for this open day assisting. It was around NAIDOC week. Only
a couple of years before that you would have been lucky to have
eight parents there. So they’re quite inclusive in the way they
operate.
And that comes down to the interaction that the carer has with the
school and the fact that they are competent enough to actually have
that relationship with that school. A lot of Indigenous people...
generally don’t get involved with schools because they’re a
minority so you generally don’t turn up to the [school event] or
get involved in what’s going on. But our carers are really
empowered and they do.’
The benefits flow on to children in care
the involvement of carers in the school community has flow-on
benefits for the children in their care, in particular in their
school attendance.
‘And what that means for our kids in care is really good
educational outcomes for them. We rarely have our kids in care
[having] issues at school. The only issues they have are some of
the kids that have had substance abuse or foetal alcohol syndrome –
they struggle around content, but not around attendance. We don’t
have kids that are regularly missing school... Our kids grow up
with the idea that school’s really important and they have got to
go to school.’
the information describing how to train indigenous carers is an
outline of the Yarning About Kids with Yorganop Carers program. For
more information, contact dawn Wallam at Yorganop child care
aboriginal corporation, Po Box 367, West Perth, Wa 6872. telephone:
9321 9090. Fax: 9321 9019. or go to their website at:
www.yorganop.org.au.
26 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
‘It’s a people’s program. It’s very much designed for them and how
they are. It’s a process that follows their direction. So it’s got
that ability straight away to be received well. And in a lot of the
[supportive learning] that we do, families or people are part of
the solution, they have the answers... Carers have the ability to
see they are doing a good job, because they know they are doing a
good job. Everything is there and we are just joining up parts of
the puzzle.’
Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong is a training initiative for
kinship carers of indigenous children developed by susan von
Leonhardi at the department of community development’s Fostering
services in Perth, Western australia. the program was developed in
recognition that kinship carers were increasing in numbers and
needed culturally appropriate and family-sensitive assessment tools
and training materials, and that their training needs were
different from those of non-kinship carers.
the program moves away from conventional understandings of
‘training’ by starting from the position that kinship carers
already have valuable skills and knowledge that they bring to their
caring role. instead, the program takes a ‘supportive learning’
approach by building on what carers already know to assist them to
meet standards, or competencies, in caring for the children placed
in their care.
the program works from the assumption that kinship carers have the
skills and the capacity to raise the children in their care, but
sometimes need to be supported in this role. the program uses a
‘learning circle’ style of communication, where learners and
facilitators are considered equal and all share and contribute from
their own wisdom. the program also uses a ‘solution-focused’
approach to coping with difficulties and issues that carers may
face, and assisting them to find ways of dealing with these
challenges in order to make caring for the children in their care
more manageable.
While the focus of the program is on supportive learning, it also
incorporates an assessment element, in that carers are assisted to
demonstrate four core competencies as the supported learning
program progresses through the six learning modules or areas of
focus.
the six learning modules or areas of focus are:
• Identity and belonging
• Understanding children’s needs and experiences
• Safety planning – safe care and safe environments
• Supports and working together
• Looking after yourself
the four competencies (or strengths and skills), which carers need
to demonstrate are the ability to:
• Care for children in a safe and caring way;
• Provide a safe and caring environment;
• Work together for the child’s safety and wellbeing;
• Work on their own development – a demonstrated willingness to
consider their own experiences, seek information, learn and develop
their own ability to foster the children in their care.
Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong
Supported learning and assessment for kinship carers, Fostering
Services, Department for Child Protection (formerly the Department
for Community Development), Perth, WA
assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
Getting Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong up and running
2004 state government initiative to develop a program for
indigenous kinship carers
2004 Project manager susan von Leonhardi consulted with community
and experts
2005 supportive learning delivered to over 600 carers across
Western australia
2006 Program revised to current format
2007 Plan to develop 4 additional core units in 2007: – the effects
of caring for related children on the children, carers and
family;
– the impact of abuse and trauma on children;
– understanding and guiding children’s behaviour;
– building closer working relationships between carers and
workers.
Moving away from the idea of ‘training’ to ‘supportive
learning’
susan von Leonhardi was given the brief to develop Growing Up Our
Kids Safe and Strong. she developed the resource to acknowledge the
wisdom, knowledge and skill of kinship carers regarding the needs
of the children in their care.
‘I feel passionate about acknowledging all Indigenous and
non-Indigenous families and people who become the children’s carers
through their existing relationship with the children because of
the incredible commitment they make to these children. I am aware
that most of the time, they do this very well and for some, they
need additional support to do what they are trying to do... One
grandmother said to me, “We’re growing up our kids, we’re gonna
keep them safe and we’ll make them strong,” and this struck a
cord.’
susan moved away from the more traditional training methods and
instead, embraced a shared learning approach, offered in a
supportive climate.
‘When we were told that all of our [kinship] carers need to be
trained, I thought, “Oh, they’re going to love that – not only are
they going to be fully assessed to look after their family’s
children, they are also being told they will need to be trained.”
So I thought, what must it be like for them, what can I do to make
the training more acceptable and useful for them? I realised that
the first thing that would help was to create a supportive and
welcoming environment in which to do the sharing and learning, to
find out what they already know and then build on that. I also
began to think about the reality that for some carers, we might be
delivering the learning in the carer’s home.”
an essential principle of Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong is
the way in which it is delivered. it was important to find a
sensitive approach to delivering the program content that enabled
the sharing of knowledge in an equitable way, so susan adopted the
‘learning circle’ approach.
‘[We] used the “learning circle” approach... The premise is that
everyone in the circle is equal and no one comes into the room with
a blank slate. Everyone has an enormous amount of wisdom and you
need to create and provide an environment to allow people to share
that wisdom.’
Seeking the input of community experts
the next step was to seek the input of community individuals and
organisations, including other indigenous train- ing organisations,
on the program’s content during the pilot session with a group of
carers.
27
28 assessing, training and recruiting indigenous carers
‘[We] sought the opinions of Indigenous people other carers that I
know [and staff from an Indigenous training organisation] to see
how that fitted for them. Their feedback was encouraging. The staff
indicated it was culturally very appropriate... So it got good
exposure before we set off to visit carers across Western
Australia.’
after consulting with key people in the community, susan and anne
oakley, an indigenous Learning and devel- opment officer with the
then department for community development, piloted the program with
a group of carers to ensure the content was relevant.
‘Initially, [we] piloted it in the Kimberley. Then the whole thing
took off. The resource was modified throughout the time we were
delivering it. We’d hear that this worked or that isn’t working, so
we knew to rework it. Whatever I heard and whatever the other
workers told me I’d adjust the content to fit with the feedback
received.’
the development of Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong continued to
be an interactive learning process that was shaped by both workers
and carers as it was rolled out across the state. the current
version is based on the extensive input of both carers and
workers.
‘Over the time we were developing the resource, we continually
shaped and reshaped it by talking with workers and Indigenous
[kinship] carers across the state. Some of the carers lived in
remote areas and others in metropolitan areas. What we were
continually finding out is that they had so much more to give us
than we had to give to this process. We were in awe of these
people.’
Skilling up workers in the spirit of delivery
in order for the program to be well received by carers, workers
needed to be coached to deliver the program.
‘We walked staff through the resource. They each had their own
leader’s guide which helped them to understand what the resource
was about. So they had a good sense of the package and they had a
very strong idea of the spirit in which it was intended to be
delivered. It is about the spirit of it as much as it’s about the
content.’
Involving Indigenous workers in delivering the supported learning
program
When the program is delivered by a non-indigenous person, workers
found it essential to be accompanied by an indigenous person in
order to build trust and be accepted into the homes of indigenous
carers.
‘As a non-Indigenous person travelling through the Kimberley I
always went with one of the Indigenous workers because they had the
relationship with this person, and that allowed me, with respect,
to enter their place and have that yarn or conversation.’
Growing Up Our Kids Safe and Strong supported learning program the
supportive learning resource comprises six learning modules:
Module 1: Identity and belonging
the first module in the program relates to stories of identity and
belonging by addressing questions such as: ‘Where was i born?’,
‘Where did i grow up?’; ‘Who are my people?’; ‘Who do i iden